development of attachment ( background)

• Definition of attachment ( Ainsworth )?

  An attachment may be defined as an affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one.
• What does Ainsworth's definition of attachment suggest ?

  that any relationship whether recipricated or not could be considered as an attachment ( can be with a pet, sibling but in this research it is about babies and their main care give - earlier research is on mother and baby due to culture mothers are typically the main role in child rearing )
• what are the underlying assumptions about acquiring behaviour and how does this relate to attachment?

  operant or classical conditioning or social learning theory and therefore a behavioural psychologist will logically think that attachment are learned
• evolutionary psychologist may suggest that attachment is due to evolution over time and survival. eg freud's theory of development in psychosexual sexual stages and piaget's stage theory.
• what are the 2 main theorys of the development of attachemnt?

  behaviourist and evolutionary
• what do behaviourist psychologist believe about development

  • that we are born a blank slate
  • no innate behaviours
  • learn everything - through association and bonds
• behaviourist psychology - believes that when babie is upset they cry, main care giver responds so baby associate care giver with somehting good as they are removing something unplesent ( wet nappy, feeling of hunger...) therefore through negative renforcement.
• Research by Harlow - on monkeys

  there was a baby monkey and 2 mother monkeys one fed them and one was more cuddly. given the choice the baby would go to the cuddly monkey even when it was scared. suggesting the developmental theory of association forming the bond to potentially be incorrect.
• John Bowlby was influenced by psychodynamic explanations for parent-infant attachment, such as drive theory. where the first stage of psychosexual stages drives from gratification of hunger
• Lorenzo is an ethologist (someone who works with animals in their natural habitat) studied the attachment behaviour of greylag geese. and saw that they imprint on the first living thing they see after they hatch. and by insuring it was him he became their attachment figure.
• Bowlby theory based off of lorenzon and the ducklings. that the same research can be applied to human babies. He believed that attachment was innate ( and therefore universal) and was to insure the survival of the baby.
• Bushnell et al ( 2011) confirmed previous research that neonate ( newborn) babies can recognise their mothers face based on visual stimuli alone - supporting bowlby's view that there is some innate ability.
• Bowlby also suggested that newborn ( human and animals ) need to bond quickly to their mothers to ensure survival. babies insure this through smiling and crying and that mothers are innately programed to respon dpositivly to this.
• How are mothers are innately programed to respon positivly to babies insure a bond this through smiling and crying?

  in MRI scans it showed that a part of the mothers brain would respond to social releases of their own baby but not others. this supports the idea that the bond is innate
• Types of attachment - there is perceived to be 4 types of pre-infant attachement each with its own characteristics which are formed based on the parenting choices.
• secure attachment - when the infant feels secure in the knowledge that the caregiver will always return, even if briefly absent. This type of attachment is associated with positive outcomes such as better cognitive functioning and emotional stability later in life. It is characterised by the infant being able to explore independently while still maintaining contact with the caregiver. The caregiver is responsive to the infants needs and provides comfort when required.
• insecure avoidant attachment - where the infant does not feel secure in the presence of the caregiver. They may show little or no distress at separation from the caregiver and appear indifferent towards them upon reunion. These children tend to have poorer cognitive functioning and emotional instability later in life. They do not seek out physical proximity to the caregiver and prefer to play independently. The caregiver tends to ignore the infant’s signals and may be unresponsive to their cries.
• insecure resistant/ambivalent attachment - where the infant shows signs of anxiety and distress both during separation and reunification with the caregiver. They may cling onto the caregiver and cry excessively when they leave. Upon reunion, these children may become angry and reject the caregiver. Later in life, these individuals often experience difficulties forming close relationships due to feelings of mistrust and fear of abandonment. The caregiver may be inconsistent in responding to the infant’s needs, sometimes ignoring them and other times providing excessive attention.
• disorganized attachment - where the infant shows no pattern of behaviour regarding attachment. They may seem confused and disorientated when separated from the caregiver. This type of attachment is linked to poorer cognitive functioning and emotional instability later in life. The caregiver may have experienced trauma themselves or had an abusive relationship with another partner.
• Secure attachment is when the caregiver is sensitive and loving, and the child seeks proximity of the caregiver.
• Insecure attachment is when the caregiver is insensitive and rejecting, and becomes annoyed, causing the child to avoid the caregiver in times of need.
• Insecure resistant attachment is when the caregiver is insensitive and inconsistent, overreacting and highlighting own needs, causing the child to react by exaggerating distress or anger to ensure they are noticed.
• Insecure disorganised attachment is when the caregiver is insensitive and not normal, being frightened even when the child is not distressed, stemming from the parents' own trauma, causing the child to react with bizarre and contradictory behaviours such as freezing or running away from the parent.
• what are the 4 types of parent-infant attachment and who came up with them?

  1. secure

  2. insecure avoident

  3.Insecure resistant ----- these 3 were identifed by Ainsworth

  4. insecure disorganised ---- this was later identified by Main and soloman and is linked to psychological disorders in later life
• what are behaviours linked to insecure disorganised attachment?

  withdrawal - directing child away eg with toys

  fearful - dissociation ( going through the motions)

  role confusion - pleading with child, threaten to cry

  affective communication errors - contradictory signals eg act inviting then push away

  intrusiveness and negativity - mocking, teasing, withholding a toy
• there a clear stages of development
• Rudoph schaffer and peggy Emerson(1964) did a longditudinal study on the stages of attachment looking at intervals from birth - 18 months. Observing infant - carer interactions, behvaiours of the child when alone. and created the stages of attachement
• Schaffer and Emerson stages of development

  Indiscriminate attachment stage (0-3 months) most babies respnd equally to carer

  Specific Attachment stage ( after 4 months) have a primary and secondary giver but accept care from anyone

  single attachment stage ( after 7 months) 1 care giver for security, comfort. fear of strangers and unhappiness when seperated

  multiple attachments ( after 9 months) baby becomes more independent and forms more attachments
• Bowlby's 4 stages of attachment

  pre-attachment stage ( 0-6 weeks) comfortable with anyone

  attachment in the making ( 6 weeks- 8 months) attachment gets stronger, respond differently to strangers

  clear cut attachment stage (8-18 months)- separation anxiety begins

  formation

  formation of reciprocal attachment ( 18 m- 2yr) child learns parent will return so separation anxiety lessons.